Langza: Spiti's incredible fossil village is an unexplored gem in the Himalayas!

Langza is an offbeat, scenic and relatively unexplored village in Spiti Valley. Not many are aware of the fact that this stunning Himalayan hamlet is rich in fossils of marine animals and plants. Situated at an altitude of 4400 m, there was a time when Langza (Spiti) was submerged under the Tethys Sea, some millions of years ago!

Interesting right? Read to know more about this fascinating village:
Where is Langza located?

The small village of Langza is set at the base of Chau Chau Kang Nilda mountain, also known as the Princess Mountain. The pretty Spitian hamlet is set on two hills and is divided into upper and lower parts. Over the past few years, Langza has gained popularity among offbeat travellers for myriad reasons, one being the rare fossil village.
The fossil connection


When in Spiti, if you travel in the mountains around Langza and Hikkim, you’ll find yourself surrounded with some stunning, rare and millions of years old sea fossils, which are very well buried under huge big boulders. There’s a Chaudua Centre (local name for fossil) that one can visit and know more about such fossils.

A number of people who understood the value of these year-old fossils, started collecting and selling off these pieces at cheap rates to tourists. Due to this, a few years back, the Himalayan Pradesh government banned the sale of marine fossils to tourists visiting Spiti Valley.

If you ever visit the place, you’ll find marine fossils being sold in the hills near Komic, Hikkim and Langza villages at rates as low as INR 50 to INR 5000! These common fossils include coral reefs of the Triassic period, aged between 250 and 199 million years, and ammonoids of the Triassic-Jurassic period also 199 and 145 million years old! The sale of course is not sustainable or ecologically driven.


Geologists believe that these fossils are much older than the mighty Himalayas and a lot of research has been done on these extremely incredible fossils.

If this has you fascinated, it's time to plan a trip to Spiti Valley. Langza can be easily accessed from Kaza, the main town and headquarter of Spiti, and people either trek or drive to it.